Diya Indian Cuisine

OMG. Best Best place ever. We walked to DC Wharf and we just wanted a hot cup of tea or coffee and we landed here. They were closing kitchen in 5 mins but wonderful SAURAV made sure our tea order were put in. He also recommended PAKAROS (Indian Fritters) to go along with tea and that was an awesome suggestion. And OMG OMG OMG was the tea and snacks was amazing and delicious 😋. If I was not leaving DC, and if I stayed here, I would come here e every weekend. Great location. Great staff. Great ambiance. Awesome energy. FIVE STARS to owners and every and I mean every team member!! Especially SAURAV.

The food was so flavorful and tasty, my parents tried indian food for the first time and they absolutely loved it! We tried the goat and it was delicious. They gave us great recommendations of things to try. We also tried two types of dessert both were delicious. Everyone was so nice and welcoming 10/10 would come back.

We happened to discover this restaurant on New Year’s Eve, and it truly turned out to be a wonderful find — definitely a must-visit! We ordered the pakoras, chicken momos, chicken chowmein, chicken biryani, and tandoori chicken, and every dish was delightful. The pakoras were perfectly crispy and flavorful. The chicken momos paired beautifully with the chutney and felt wonderfully comforting, just like home. The tandoori chicken is an absolute must-try — incredibly tender and bursting with flavor. The biryani was equally rich and aromatic. We ended our meal with their chai, which was the perfect finishing touch. Overall, a lovely dining experience that we truly enjoyed.

We were here last year just passing through, and we were absolutely amazed back then. This year we came back again — and it was even better. The food is incredibly delicious, full of flavor, and honestly hard to describe how good it is. Everything tastes fresh and perfectly prepared. The service was extremely professional and warm — Rabi took great care of us and made the whole experience even more enjoyable. If you’re looking for outstanding Indian food and top-level service, Diya Indian Cuisine is a must-visit. Highly, highly recommended!

I can’t recommend this place enough! The food is amazing and the service was a 10/10. The highlight was definitely the staff — they were so accommodating and kind. They sat our party of 20 in a private dining area which was great. We were there for a birthday and they gave us complimentary green tea shots. Lastly they surprised us with dessert with candles which was sweet. Definitely try this place out!!

Excellent Indian food with rich spices and delicious samosa n chicken tandoori. The service was friendly, and the ambiance comfortable — great for dinner with friends or family!”

My daughter and I were interested in trying Indian food and decided to visit Diya Indian Cuisine. From the second we step foot in the restaurant customer was beyond superb! I would return based on the customer service alone; however, the food was just as great! My daughter got the butter chicken and cannot stop raving about it! She was very impressed by the flavor and overall presentation. I got the Aloo Gobi and I was so impressed with how flavorful this dish is! All in all, 10/10 experience and we definitely plan to return! Thank you so much for the hospitality🙏🏾

I visited Diya Indian had goat curry and tandoori chicken Absolutely delicious! This dish was bursting with rich, authentic flavor. The meat was tender, perfectly cooked, and coated in a beautifully spiced gravy that had just the right balance of aroma and heat. The freshness of the herbs on top added the perfect finishing touch. A truly standout item — comforting, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. Highly recommended for anyone who loves bold, traditional Indian taste!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! We are new to the area, huge foodies, and Diya is hands down our favorite! We try something new every visit and have yet to try something that we didn't like. The flavors are to die for! The owners and staff are extremely kind and make sure that you are taken care of. you will not be disappointed!

Best Indian food in... all of NoVa? Don't be misled by the odd building location. Absolutely love Diya and love even more that it's in my neighborhood! The butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are amazing, and so was the lamb vindaloo. The lamb vindaloo really has an awesome heat level and was savory and delicious. The garlic naan is a must and we also really enjoyed the Bombay Cycle (fresh and fruity and fabulous) and the dirty martini for drinks. The service was excellent and always is, they take great care of you here. So friendly and welcoming and it's always easy to get a table. Nice chill vibes, not loud at all. In case our evening wasn't already totally perfect, they brought us a complimentary and very yummy rice pudding for dessert. Will always return to Diya and it absolutely hails as the best in Old Town!

I love this place-- especially for takeout. Their spicy chicken tikka, palak paneer, and dal (the classics) are always so fresh and the perfect level of spice. The mango lassi and kheer (rice dessert) are our go to treats when we eat there in person. The folks who own and work at the restaurant are also super sweet. Will be back!

Diya is one of my favorite Indian spots. I love that their menu clearly marks vegan options, gf too. I love their tadka daal, but everything we've tried has been good. They offer special when you order online too.

Diya is a Indian/Nepalese restaurant in OT Alexandria, located on the 2nd floor of the 218 building. The restaurants offers a daily lunch buffet as well as an extensive menu of various appetizers (samosa chats, chicken momo, pakora, etc.), Indian bread, veggie/lamb/goat/seafood/chicken specialties, and tandoori entrees. We had enjoyed their buffet offerings in the past, but the quality and the flavor has been inconsistent - the Honey Butter Chicken, the Veggie Korma, and the Tandoori Chicken that we have enjoyed has sometimes been undercooked, watered down, or have no flavor. Service has been friendly and welcoming. +inconsistent quality/flavors of the buffet +daily lunch buffet +friendly staff +located on the 2nd floor of 218 building +limited restricted street parking

Always an amazing experience here. The ambiance, staff, and most importantly the food is always perfect. I recommend getting the Samosa Chaat as an appetizer, it's amazing. Palak Paneer is a must-get for me and the garlic naan is also fantastic. Best Indian food in town and it's not even close. We'll be back!

Our party of four really struggled to assign four or five stars for this review. It could easily go either way. Five-star worthy service. We were greeted immediately at 7:30 pm on a Friday evening when the restaurant was not so busy. Our server is the niece of the owner and only four-months into her stay in the US from Nepal. She was a delight; friendly, helpful and attentive. Five-star ambience: we loved the large dining area, brick walls and decor. It was elegant and comfortable at the same time. Beware, the restaurant is on the second floor of a quaint, older building and the elevator is not currently in-service. The other interior shops are interesting and the wooden stairs are beautiful, but it does require climbing legs. Five-star portions and pricing: we often expect smaller serving dishes and need to ask for additional rice. Our meal of four entrees was enough to satisfy our hearty appetites after a day of cycling around DC and provide leftovers for a light lunch the next day. The price is commensurate with other restaurants in the area. Five-star menu selections and offerings of breads in particular. We were impressed. Hard to choose. We had some selections that were unique in Indian restaurant such as chicken chowmein. The garlic naan was top notch. Four-star: flavor/seasoning and preparation of the entrees. Here is where the hard decisions were made. If we could assign a 4.5 overall, we would. We love Indian food and have a favorite in our area if Michigan by which all other restaurants are compared. Diya fell just short of competing evenly with our favorite. The chicken chowmein was my choice. We all enjoyed it. One taste-tester felt it was noodle-heavy and not enough sauce. It was spicy, more as an after taste. I loved that. I enjoyed the green onions and bites of chicken, though more chicken for the amount of noodles might have made the difference. My husband's selection was his favorite Chicken Tikka Masala. The sauce was ample and the flavor was good. He felt the chunks of chicken were a bit drier than he would have liked. Our friends both love Fish Curry. One ordered it with tilapia and the other with chunks of salmon. Of course, the sauce was the same for both dishes. We all agreed that we could not tell the difference, with taste and texture between the two types of fish. The fish was soft on the inside and a little crisp in the outside. No fishy after taste or smell. The flavors were very good but not quite as interesting as the curry sauce to which we have become accustomed. Back to the people and service.... We were offered a dessert on the house; deep fried dough balls soaked in a sweet sauce. Perfect end to our meal, albeit very sweet. A taste was enough. So kind and gracious. We travel through Old Town once a year. We have a favorite Vietnamese restaurant for our first night in town and now Diya is in a too contender for the second night's meal. A wonderful dining experience.

The food was good. It was solid in taste but nothing overwhelming. We had the lamb curry which was pretty dried herby and less tomatoey what I would have expected based on what is written on the menu. It was not spicy. The meat was a little tough. The tandoori chicken was a little dry. I would have loved a little more smokiness. There were five little pieces. The paneer kulcha was decent. Service was very welcoming. We got complimentary dessert which was milk rice with cardamom. Really good. The seating in booths was nice, however, you can overhear everyone and that was not too pleasant.

There was a wide selection and the waiter was more than happy to give us more information on each dish. The food was superb and service was attentive. The owner even came by to check on us. I recommend the vegetable korma.

Diya Indian Cuisine is a true culinary gem! A Saturday night visit left me genuinely shocked by the exceptional food. The samosas, paired with the delightful Tamarind sauce, showcased a perfect blend of spice and fluffiness in the outer dough. The honey butter chicken was a highlight, marrying sweetness and spice in a pleasing dance for the palate. The garlic naan, dipped in the honey butter chicken sauce, was a delicious combo. A fanciful touch was added by the well-crafted dirty martini with tequila, including extra olive juice as per my request. Immaculate service and consistently fresh food ensure I'll be returning for more culinary delights.

We had a dinner reservation for a group of 7 on a Friday. It's a pretty nice restaurant located on the 2nd floor of the building. There is lots of exposed brick, as well as what appeared to be an alcove for a lunch buffet. We ordered a large number of dishes to share. My favorite was the palak paneer. An interesting one to me was the honey butter chicken. It really had an extra honey flavor on top of the butter chicken. Service was good, the food came quickly, and the drinks were kept filled. Not a bad choice if you want Indian food for dinner.

I ordered take out from Diya through Uber Eats and my review will be based off of the experience eating the food at home. I ordered the biriyani, lamb korma, and kheer. Portion sizes were very generous and could feed 2, over two days. I thought the packaging could be better, since the biriyani was overflowing from the box they had packed it in. Biriyani was good, and comparable to other Indian restaurants in the area. I enjoyed the lamb korma a lot - very tasty, hence the 4 star. The kheer was most disappointing - it had no nuts, zero flavor, and the rice seemed chewy and undercooked. I expected so much more from the dish! Overall, I'd order take out again, maybe even dine in. But definitely staying clear of the kheer

Good service, have had better Indian food. They didn't take Amex at the time (issue with their machine) so my bill to cover the others was huge. Convenient location in old town in regards to proximity to the water.

Came here after the Alexandria cider festival. What a treat this place is. Ordered three various dishes and they were all amazing! Well worth it. The restaurant itself was amazing. If you are looking for a place to eat in the old town Alexandria area I cannot recommend this place enough. 10/10 will return! It's a beautiful restaurant.

Had catered food from this restaurant and loved everything. The paneer pinwheels are inventive and so good I went for seconds. The tava bindi is fantastic (and i don't even like Okra) and the crispy lotus root. Loved the chicken and pulao. Not oily, just great. Overall top notch.

There is comfort food in several categories and this is definitely Indian comfort food. Service was fast, delivery, and perfect! From the pictures the restaurant looks quaint but I cannot speak to it due to delivery.

Had takeout here today and this place is phenomenal! I have an onion sensitivity and called to order items that don't have onions (which is almost impossible with Indian food) and they were SO accommodating. They made my dishes onion-free, specially for me which I know is a lot of extra work. Not only were they SO nice when I came to pick up the order, they threw in a couple extra items for me to taste. The food was absolutely delicious and I'm soooo relieved I found an Indian restaurant that can make my special dishes to accommodate my allergy. Love this new spot and will definitely be back!

I get takeout from Diya every couple months. It's a lot closer to me than Rasika and stays open pretty late. It's a great dinner option at 8:30 PM. Most of the time the food is great, but every once in a while the food won't taste as flavorful. I'm not sure if they have different chefs or if it was a fluke. Everything I've had has been good: tikka masala, biryanis, butter chicken, nann, samoas, and salmon curry. I really love the salmon curry and samosas! The restaurant is in a weird location, but the staff is really nice and quick. Overall, 4.5/5. Great food for the price.

This was the worst Indian food we have had. Ever. I'm not sure how but everything was bland and lacked flavor. So disappointed.

If you're looking for a restaurant and manager that shouts and yells at their regular customer this is just the place for you!! I have been a regular at this restaurant since 2020. Yesterday, I had a guest and from the moment we arrived, there was one problem after the other. 1) We asked to sit near the window and said we would wait but no - the manager and staff denied our request and we politely sat where they directed us to. 2) I asked for a physical menu as my guest was an elderly and was having trouble accessing the QR code. A male server was being quite rude and condescending about this simple request. 3) We have been waiting for the food for over 30 mins at this point but they brought someone else's order to our table. 4) When they finally brought the food over, the naan and curries were all lukewarm. Indian curries are meant to be served piping hot - and serving customers lukewarm and borderline cold dishes are not the norm. We pointed this out to them and already one of the managers of servers - she was giving us dirty looks! 5) And that was not enough, their manager came up to our table and started arguing in a loud voice that the whole restaurant can hear -that it isn't their fault and giving a million excuses. When we pointed out calmly that we had no business complaining if the food was fine, he literally YELLED at me in front of the whole restaurant!! What kind of manager and restaurant literally INSULTS AND YELLS at their customers for simply pointing out the food isn't their usual standard? And that too to a regular customer. Never experienced such rude and unprofessional behavior from any restaurant staff in my whole life! Save yourself and go to "Bombay Street Food" in Oxon Hill!!

Always good food. The staff is very friendly and respectful. They have several options with different meats available as well as many vegan options.

We stopped for lunch in a road trip after reading some great reviews. It is very near to highway so that makes it a apt stop for a road trip. We ordered samosa chaat which was good but felt there could be more samosa in that. Karahi mutton was great . No complaints there. Very well made. Dal makhani was very salty and we had to returned it. Service was good.

Delicious Indian/Nepalese right in the heart of Old Town. Stopped in for our second visit on a Saturday afternoon, just past prime lunch time. And anyway, the food was the star of the visit! You say spicy, I say Chapate! Oh my, so wonderful, with the puffed rice and the noodles accompanied by chopped bits of tomatoes and cucumbers. But, this is NOT for the feint of heart; when they say spicy, they mean it. I indulged while the rest of my party had the belief that a little taste goes a long way. As we always do with Indian food, sharing was the order of the day. For another starter we did several orders of the veggie samosa, accompanied by the green chutney and tamarind for dipping. Entrees included the black lentil dish, Daal Makhani, which sported the butter chicken sauce over those tasty legunes; the Chicken Korma with a light curry and the Lamb Karahi. Oh my goodness, for 4 people this was a feast. Oh, and yeah, one can't forget those wonderful breads --- at Diya they have an amazing 'sampler' that includes their Naan, Garlic Naan & Onion Kulcha offerings. Yummy! And unlike many other Indian restaurants, the saffron rice was plentiful upon first arriving with a pleasant offer, if more was needed, just let them know! We couldn't eat another bite so no desserts for us that day but we saw the Kheer and Gajar at a neighboring table that look worthy of a try on our next visit.

I was really looking forward to trying out Diya after reading all the great reviews Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed for a number of reasons. Service- Subpar. Took a while for a server to grab our order after being seated. Once we were seated waiter wasn't very familiar with the drink and wine list, which wasn't a huge deal. We ordered our drinks and waiter finally came back to ask for our food order. He was helpful with answering our questions, but didn't have much enthusiasm about the food. The other waitress that was helping other tables had great energy. Our guy was kind, but wasn't the level of service we would have liked from a fancier restaurant. Food- Subpar. Wouldn't order anything we ordered again. The fish curry was bland and didn't have the curry flavor I'm used to. I've had a lot of Indian curry, so am familiar with the flavors. The sauce it was served in was flavorful, but not the curry I was looking for (heavy on the tomato). Not worth the $21. The tandoori chicken was also disappointing. It looked amazing when it came out, but had absolutely no flavor. Thank God for the sauce from the fish curry, that saved the chicken. Lastly...the garlic naan. Two thumbs down. No garlic flavor and very thin. Also-they close at 9pm so be prepared to feel rushed out at around 8:50. They def make it known that they are ready to go home. Ugh...I hate writing poor reviews, but this place just didn't live up to the hype. Breaks my heart when I strike out on a new find.

Excellent food in an excellent location! This place is tucked away on the second floor of a building with lots of little shops. But if you hike up the stairs, you'll be rewarded with this hidden gem. We enjoyed the Indian buffet, which included about 10-15 options. Some of the options were a bit spicier, but not too spicy, because even my kid who doesn't love spicy food ate all the food. There are also other options with no heat at all. At the end of the buffet line, you'll be rewarded with naan, fruit, and those Indian donut balls that I don't know the name of. The restaurant has nice seating throughout, including some fun booths. There's also a small amount of free 2 hour parking, plus a paid parking garage just a block away.

I have been to this restaurant 3 times now, and I am already looking forward to the 4th! I found this place while searching for Indian Cuisine online. I decided to give it a try, and I am so glad that I did. Each time I have come, there was never a wait nor a line to be seated. Upon entering, we was quickly greeted by our waiter, who was very nice and patient. 3 times here, and yet I always get the exact same order. 1 Mango lassi (a MUST), an order of Samosas (no brainer), and the Salmon Curry (my mouth is watering as I type), along with garlic naan on the side (a staple item). Clearly the food is amazing. Not only does the food come out quickly, but its super hot, fresh, and cooked to perfection. I cannot think of a complaint if I tried. I am hoping to try some of the other items in the menu, but even if I don't, I know that I will be satisfied eating the same thing each time lol. The restaurant is located in Old Town, and in a quiet area. There is free 2 hour street parking nearby, as well as parking garage walking distance. They are located on the second level of the building, and not hard to find. If you ever looking for some delicious Indian food, please do yourself a favor and come to Diya. You will be so glad that you did!

DO NOT order take-out from this operation. My order arrived incomplete. When I called to find out what happened, the people who work there were very nasty, implied I was making up a story, then blamed it on the delivery service, and refused to give me a refund for the undelivered item. Efficiency and customer service grade: "F".

Diya Indian Cuisine is an excellent restaurant. My favorite is the spicy chicken tikka masala. The tandoori chicken and lamb curry were great. We ordered the Taj Majal lager and a Hunter beer both were excellent. The garlic naan and paneer were a nice compliment to our entrees. Our waiter was amazing, he recommended entrees and beers, as well as told our friend the lamb vindaloo was very very spicy. Warning: The Lamb Vindaloo is spicy. I had a couple bites, but eating a whole entree is beyond me. Our friend managed to eat most of it, although he ordered it, it was a bit spicy for him. If you like really spicy food, then give it a try. Diya Indian Cuisine is on the second floor of a building close to the waterfront. The ambiance is nice. The service and food are excellent. They have a great selection of food and drinks. We'll be back when we return to Alexandria.

This place was amazing. It was so good we considered moving closer..maybe even upstairs. The food was some of the best Indian we have ever had. People were nice. Restaurant was nicely decorated and clean.

Food was SO excellent. Restaurant is gorgeous too. The most impressive thing was how gracious, sweet, & diligent the staff was. With each person that served us, you could tell they genuinely cared about ensuring we had an excellent dining experience. Highly recommend :)!!

An extra hyped place with trash food. Biryani did not taste even close to a Biryani. Its pretty much boiled colored rice with boiled chicken in it. Ordered Paneer tikka and chicken tikka masala, and they are just unflavored as they can. Spent 125$ for a food that tasted like nothing. Not worth it. Wait for the owner's feedback and see how he harasses and berates his customers.

Good food with kind and thoughtful service. They even gave us a complimentary dessert. Definitely coming back!

Totally recommend the Pakora as an appetizer. The issue was that the food was too spicy for me, even mild , so if you can't handle spicy food it has to be really really really mild. But aside, lovely restaurant space

I brought my mom here for Mother's Day. The food was delicious, ambiance was beautiful, and the service was very friendly! I will come here again.

Some of the best Indian food I have ever had. Our family tried the momo chicken and tiki masala. The Naan basket had traditional and garlic Naan. I have never had Naan with so much flavor. We also had Samosas and the accompanying sauces weredelicious. The service was great, and our water cups never went dry. We came in very sweaty, so this was much appreciated.

Excellent atmosphere. And wasn't too busy when we visited. Very attentive and got us plastic cups for our kids and constant water refills. Samosas - 2 did not enjoy the samosas. The outer edge was hardened and innards were mediocre though the adjoining sauces tasted good. Naan (various) - 3 par for the course Chicken Tikka (not spicy for kids) - 4 creamy and sweet very good quality. Lamb vindaloo - 5 really good balance and flavor. A little heavy on the potato but tasted excellent otherwise. Felt a little overpriced. I'd expect this to cost about 60 and it was more like 90 after tip. But the quality was there.

Highly Recommend! Service was great and food was phenomenal. Perfect balance of spice and flavor. If you want some authentic Indian food, this is the place. We ordered over 14 different dishes and all were perfect. Note: if you enjoy truly spicy food, recommend trying a 7/10. That was the sweet spot to hit the right level of spice without losing the flavor of the dish.

I got the curry goat, and the garlic naan. Both were amazing! I love the ambience of the restaurant and the service was great as well. Their street parking free for two hours.

Great customer service but must have patience. It gives small family owned but upscale. We arrived about 615 and it took a while to be seated (despite empty tables) and no line, place order, get drinks and of course get food. Ordered a variety of dishes and I wasnt a fan of the butter chicken nor spicy chicken tika. The sauce was too sweet and reminded me of chef boyardee. The staff were very apologetic though. Forgot to take pics

Look, this place was delicious. It's a locally owned small business that makes everything fresh to order. Do you have to wait for your food? Absolutely! But it's worth it 100% because every dish is made to perfection. The lamb boti is probably the best Indian lamb dish I have ever had. So juicy, tons of flavor, great portion. The chicken vindaloo has amazing flavor. Not the largest portion, but very very filling with rice. The potatoes inside the chicken vindaloo were even so flavorful. The garlic naan was the cherry on top. I scooped up all the sauces and spices onto the naan and stuffed myself until I couldn't eat anymore. The owner gave us a sample of the gulab jamun and rice pudding. If I had more room in my stomach I would order full size desserts! Parking around the area is sometimes tough. It's mostly street parking. The restaurant is located on the second floor of an entrance (all very clearly marked!).

Didn't get a picture of the beautiful food until after we ate everything. My favorite Indian to date! Absolutely wonderful cuisine and the owner has come out to give us a very personalized experience and complimentary sides several times. A must stop for everyone! The tikka masala is my regular dish but I've had the chicken biryani as well! It's all amazing and never disappoints.

Highly recommend if you're in the area! The waiter selected everything for us and is was incredible! This is the best Indian restaurant I have ever been to. I'm hoping I can make it back some day! Everything was so fresh, the service was friendly, the restaurant was quiet. It was a great experience!

I took an Uber and got here around 9:10pm. They had just finished serving a big party but were still very kind and provided great service. I ordered take-out; samosas, basmati rice, garlic naan and chicken tikka masala. I also ordered a Taj Mahal beer while I waited. The food came out quick! I didn't order with spice, instead I got it on the side because I like to determine the spice level. Vibe was amazing, if I would've gotten here sooner I would've sat down. I'll definitely come back next time I'm in town!

Super mid- Indian food. Will it satisfy you? Yes. If you're used to authentic Indian food you will be disappointed at the flavor profiles. It's like they get to about step 9/10 and stop shy of the tadka. Probably good for entertaining entrants to Indian cuisine but beware if you know better.

The food was very good, that goes along with the excellent service. We had the Butter Chicken and Tika Masala, both dishes were enough to feed 2 adults and 3 children along with the delicious Samosas. There is a parking lot nearby if street parking is full. Convenient and delicious, what more could you ask for.

Amazing! My husband and I wandered by and stopped to read the menu. Decided to try it. Up the stairs was an amazingly beautiful restaurant, run by the sweetest owners... the food was amazing. I didn't take pictures because we destroyed everything we ate- the goat curry, garlic naan and the the tandoori combo. Amazing. We have lived up the block for 3 years and I am so sad that he have been missing out on this! Simply delicious and the customer service is amazing!

Have tasted better Indian food in the area. Dal makhni was bland and not creamy like it should be. Since I'm Indian I had the spices on hand to doctor it and make it more tasty.

Review for delivery: pretty darn good. The Indian restaurant scene in DC is mad competitive, mostly because there are so many good places available. This place holds its own. The curries and naan are knock-out good, and the kind of thing I could definitely see ordering regularly. The prices are a hair high, but not unreasonably so for the area. The only thing I had an issue with: some of my delivery order was missing, and some of it was spilled. I suspect that's more the fault of my delivery driver than anything else. I'll update my review if it seems to be a common issue.

I have tried many Indian places around this area, this is my by far the best place to go. Not only is the food phenomenal but the customer service was great, all the staff were super helpful and welcoming. I highly recommend coming for any dinner!!!